


7 Minutes In Heaven

by Potatemo



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-31 06:29:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 16,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8567764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potatemo/pseuds/Potatemo
Summary: When lead singer Patrick Stump goes missing following an incident with some fans, will Pete, Joe and Andy get there in time to save him?





	1. When The World Comes Crashing Down

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also available on my wattpad , Potatemo. Thanks for reading!

(A/N Okay, so this is my third fanfiction and my first on this site. Please leave suggestions in the comments! This story is set during the Save Rock and Roll tour. )  
\---  
Pete, Patrick and Joe stood together in front of Patrick's mic in the centre of the stage. The crowd was wild tonight: some with large, supportive posters and others crowdsurfing on a sea of people. Pete and Patrick stepped up together on to a slightly raised platform as they sung the chorus to The Phoenix. Patrick noticed a small group of fans with a banner between them, written on it: "7 Minutes In Heaven, Please!" Patrick hated to disappoint his fans, but that song was far to emotional for Pete to cope live on stage. Heck, they hadn't played that live since far before the hiatus. The band finished with, as usual, Saturday. Pete had a great time in the crowd at the end. Only then did Patrick realise how much he missed touring with this band. Tonight was almost halfway through the tour, and he had never felt so alive. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the small group of fans angrily tear down their banner requesting a song.

"Hey, Patrick? You okay?" Pete asked, concerned. Patrick jolted out of his daydreaming. They were cooling down backstage after the show before the meet and greets.  
"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. " Patrick replied to Pete, who shrugged and went back to his phone. For some reason, Patrick couldn't get the image of the fans tearing down the banner out of his head. It was guilt, he knew. They looked absolutely destroyed. He secretly hoped they didn't have meet and greet passes, because he wasn't in the mood for speaking to angry fans.  
"Okay guys, Pete, Patrick. We've got meet and greets with the fans now" Andy called, and they followed him to another room.  
They took pictures and signed CDs, phones, guitars and even body parts. Patrick loved chatting with them, it was nice to know so many people cared about him so much. He was also shocked at the praise for their new works, even though they had been on hiatus for so long.  
They were nearing the end of the meet and greets now. Patrick yawned, it was so late. He saw a few people walk towards them, and their faces vaguely familiar. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Of course! Patrick mentally slapped himself. They're the people who had that banner and began shouting insults at me and Pete.  
Patrick swallowed nervously.  
"Um, hey!" He greeted, wiping the beading sweat on his forehead. The fans did not reply for a while, they exchanged glances before one with long black hair and a nose piercing said "Can we get a picture with you guys?"  
"Uh, sure" Patrick replied hesitantly, and proceeded to take photos with the four fans. He was sure they could see the guilt written all over his face. If he wasn't nervous before, he was definitely nervous now. One put her arm around Patrick's shoulder as they posed.  
"Thanks" they said, before walking off and giggling hysterically.  
"That was strange. I think they were just fangirling" Pete said.  
"Yeah, probably" Patrick mumbled in reply, but he wasn't so sure if they were.


	2. I Just Need A Stronger Dose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeet

 

Sophie smiled as she reached her arm around Patrick as he posed for a photo. However she wasn't smiling for the picture, but at the fact she had just slipped her slim hand into Patrick's coat pocket and carefully and quickly drew out a small card. It was Patrick's backstage pass.

Patrick couldn't wait to get to sleep, he could barely keep his eyes open tonight. He didn't bother changing and just went straight to sleep as the tour bus drove through the night to get to their next venue where they would be playing tomorrow.   
\---  
The following morning wasn't too busy, they had one interview after lunch for a local radio station. Patrick didn't mind them, they were usually short and most of the time he was asked the same questions. Pete did most of the talking for him so that he could rest his voice for the evenings show.

The problems started as soon as they arrived at the concert hall.

"Excuse me, sir, I can't let you in without your pass. It's just normal security measures" one security guard said sternly to Patrick, who was frantically patting down his pockets (A/N no pun intended) looking for his backstage pass. The show was due to begin at 7pm, and it was already 5:30. He needed to do the sound check now before the doors opened. They weren't even allowing him access to his instruments which had been placed in his dressing room.   
"But you've got to believe me! I've got my passport, driving licence... What is your problem!?" Patrick said desperately, running to check through his things one last time on the tour bus.   
"What's happening? Why haven't we been called for sound check yet?" Pete called, watching Patrick rushing back to the bus.   
"He doesn't have a backstage pass, and without one we can't let him in. I'm sorry, it's just regulations here" security said.   
Patrick returned with empty pockets and an increasingly flustered expression.   
"It's okay, he's with me" Pete laughed, showing his pass to the guard. He stepped aside, letting the musicians past to get ready.   
"Thanks, Pete" Patrick whispered before going into his room to get ready.   
"I don't know what I'd do without you"

\---  
"Okay, I love you"  
"I love you too"  
Patrick had just finished calling his wife. He adjusted his fedora and put on his glasses. Wow, he was lucky to have a wife like Elisa and a friend like Pete. He couldn't ask for anyone better.

Suddenly, a hand was held across his mouth and an arm wrapped itself tightly around his neck. Patrick tried to cry for help, but nothing but a strangled chocking noise came out. He felt the edges of his vision go dark, and slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. It's Gonna Get Better, It's Gonna Work Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Patrick...

Patrick felt a numbing blackness spreading through his body as he desperately tried to pry the hand off that was covering his nose and mouth. He felt a tingling, light-headed feeling crawl it's way up to his head from the lack of oxygen before his vision went black and he collapsed to the ground. 

"Patrick? Patrick, we're way late for the sound check, man!" Pete called down the hallway. At this rate there wouldn't be a sound check at all. What's taking him so long? Is he straightening his hair or something? Pete chuckled at the thought.   
"Hey, you in there?" He called, knocking lightly on Patrick's door.   
He stood waiting for several minutes, but with no response.   
That's strange. Patrick isn't the pranks type.   
"Patrick! This isn't funny anymore. We're really late. You've got to come now!" He shouted through the door, in case he didn't hear.   
But what if he's injured? Or passed out? Or...   
Pete began to grow worried.   
"Okay, that's it. I'm going in there. I don't care what you're doing, this isn't funny"  
Pete went to shove the supposedly locked door open, but instead he found himself stumbling through a very unexpectedly unlocked door.   
That's really strange. He wouldn't leave it open if he was in here. But where else would he be?  
Pete walked in and looked around. No signs of life here. He walked through to the bathroom, but that was also empty. Pete was half expecting him to jump out from behind a door, or furniture. But after checking the whole room, it became clear Patrick wasn't there.   
Pete was beginning to panic now. It was as if Patrick had just walked out of the room and disappeared. There was no time to waste, Pete ran out of the room and down the corridor to the main room where Joe and Andy were.   
"Hey, Pete, what happened to the sound check? There's no time now. We're going to have to delay the concert. And where's Patrick? It's his fault, we couldn't find him anywhere" Joe asked.   
"I was going to ask you the same question" Pete mumbled in reply.   
"Do you want me to delay the concert? He's got to be here somewhere" Andy questioned, watching Pete.   
"No, he's here. I don't know where, but there's nowhere else he could be. He hasn't left or he or someone else would have told us"  
Pete suddenly kicked the table leg, making Joe and Andy jump.   
"That idiot. He knew when the sound check was scheduled for" he said.   
"Pete, you need to calm down. We'll go look for him around the venue. Knowing him he's probably just found the food or something. He'll be fine" Joe replied, placing a hand on Petes shoulder.   
"Yeah, you're right, let's go."  
\---  
"Any luck?" Pete said, panting.   
"No. None. We've searched the whole venue, but no ones seen him leave. This is getting serious, Pete" Andy reported.   
"Okay, I'll phone the police. Joe, you go tell security" Pete answered, and proceeded to take out his phone and quickly dial the emergency phone number.   
"Hello, what service do you require"  
"Police, please"  
"Please state your situation"  
"Our lead singer Patrick Stump has gone missing with no explanation..."  
Andy listened to Pete, he could hear the worry for his friend in his voice. It was clear now that something had happened to Patrick, but they couldn't do anything until the cops arrived. A list of scenarios ran through his head. Patrick could have been run over by a car, or shot dead, or kidnapped... His stomach twisted at the thought. If Patrick was uninjured he would have called them by now. Perhaps he would have still called them even if he was injured. Andy feared the worst for his friend, the signs weren't good.   
"They'll be here shortly" Pete replied, eyes shining slightly.


	4. We're Falling Apart To Half Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get to see 'Trick in this chapter!

Pete walked out onto the stage, and the crowd reacted immediately, screaming wildly and chanting for the band to play. Pete, however, did not speak (or play for that matter) but waited until the roar of the crowd had died down into hushed silence, obviously seeing the stricken look on his face.

"I want to thank you all for waiting here for us, but we won't be playing here tonight" Pete said bluntly, not bothering to hide the truth that they were in no state to play this evening.

"I'm so sorry"

Finally, Pete couldn't stand the shouts, the insults and the distraught looks on the fans faces, and walked offstage without further word.

\-------------

Cold. Dark. Confusion.

Where am I ? Patrick woke up slowly, groaning in pain from when he hit his head on the floor when he was knocked out. Wait... Knocked out? Who did that? What am I doing here? Thoughts ran wild through Patrick's head as he struggled to make sense of his dire situation. I was knocked out... By someone with their hand over my nose and mouth. Patrick remembered slowly sliding into unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen. Suddenly, his head was knocked against something hard once more as he was jostled around. He noticed the floor was shifting beneath his shaking form, and he could hear the quiet rumbling of the engine. He was definitely in a moving vehicle, most likely a car. I'm also blindfolded with tape over my mouth This definitely was not good. All of a sudden, the tape was ripped off of his eyes and the car had stopped moving. Somewhere near him, a female voice cackled in amusement as he struggled to see in the sudden light without his glasses. Patrick turned to where he heard the voice, but he was tied too tightly to move on his own. A figure stepped into his blurry vision as he squinted to make out its features. The person shoved Patrick's glasses onto his face roughly, Ouch, that hurt! and he could now see it was the girl who he had taken a picture with in the meet and greets at the last show. I knew I had a bad feeling about them. I'm so stupid! Wait... The show... There was one tonight, or was that yesterday? He had lost track of time during his kidnapping, and began to worry about what had happened with the scheduled show. Was it cancelled? How is Pete and the rest of the band doing? Does Elisa know? Are they even looking for me... Do they even care? The last question made him realise how vulnerable he was now, he was completely at the mercy of this person. They could do whatever they wanted to him and no one would ever know. Sadness washed over him as he wondered if he would ever see his friends and family again. There was a high chance he wouldn't. The girl began to remove the binds on Patrick's legs, and he instantly tried to escape, only to get a hard punch in the face from his captor. "If you ever try to hurt me, I will hurt you. If you ever try to escape, I will kill you" she hissed into Patrick's ear. "Do you understand?" She screeched into his face. Patrick quickly nodded, blood dripping from the gash in his cheek where she had punched him. This is when he realised, he had been kidnapped.

And he was terrified.


	5. The Hand Behind This Pen Relieves A Failure Every Day

Pete sat down on the sofa and sighed deeply.  
 _This can't be happening. Wake up, Pete._  
Ever since he had to cancel that concert, his life had become a living hell. The fans had since been demanding to know what was going on, and what had happened to Patrick. As far as the world knew, Patrick had gone missing with no explanation.   
Pete sat watching the news, the headline being, " **Fall Out Boy Lead Singer Patrick Stump Missing, Presumed Dead** ".   
Pete's heart broke at seeing that headline multiple times a day, Patrick had been presumed dead since it had now been almost 48 hours since Patrick was last seen. The police had come a few hours after his disappearance, but they failed to find any leads as to what had happened. Pete remembered the conversation he had with one of the officers;  
 _"I'm sorry, Mr. Wentz, but there's a high chance that he was involved in an accident. We have not yet found any evidence to suggest he was kidnapped or... murdered" The officer swallowed nervously, seeing the heartbroken look on Pete's face._  
 _"The only fingerprints we have found in the room are those of Mr. Stump, and of course yours on the outer door handle. The most likely scenario would have been that Mr. Stump left the venue for a walk or other reason, and was possibly murdered or run down by a vehicle. For these reasons, Mr. Stump will be presumed dead until further investigation. I'm sorry for your loss."_

Fresh hot tears stained Pete's face as he recalled the conversation. His best friend had been taken away from him so soon after the band got back together. Now he was missing with no explanation.   
_Presumed dead._  
They say you have only 24 hours to find a missing person, and he was giving up on ever seeing Patrick again. Patrick was always the sweet, sensible, innocent one of them. It wasn't fair that this happened to Patrick, he never did anything to deserve this.   
Pete heard someone walking down the hallway towards his room, and he quickly wiped his eyes and checked in the mirror. It was obvious he had been crying.   
The door opened, and Joe walked in.   
"Hey Pete" he said softly, sitting down next to him.   
"I know it's a bit soon... But can we talk about the tour? I don't think we should keep the fans in false hope. It might be better to cancel this tour and go on another one when we... find Patrick, wherever he is" Joe's voice cracked on the last part, and he put a comforting arm around Pete.   
"I miss him, Joe. He doesn't deserve this. You heard what the police said, how he's..." Pete choked on a sob   
"Presumed dead?" Joe finished for him, Pete being overwhelmed with emotion and unable to continue.  
"Look, I'm sure he'll be fine, he'll show up soon. He wouldn't leave us like that" he reassured Pete, even if he wasn't so sure himself. Patrick wouldn't leave deliberately, would he? Unless the stress of being back in the band was getting to him... No. He would never even think of doing something as selfish as that.   
"Hey Pete, remember when you made Patrick drink that garlic butter?" Joe said cheerfully, desperately trying to lighten the mood, for both himself and Pete.   
"Yeah..." Pete chuckled slightly through the tears "He..he said he felt really sick afterwards"  
"And the time you balanced things on his face when he was sleeping on the tour bus?" Joe prompted, seeing it was working slightly.   
"That was brilliant. I wish we would have filmed it" Pete smiled at the memory, before becoming lost in happy memories of his best friend.   
Joe got up and silently walked out, seeing he'd done what he had came in to do. When he was outside, he leaned against the door frame and sighed deeply. He knew he wouldn't ever see Patrick again, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever get over it.


	6. I'll Be Your Best Kept Secret And Your Biggest Mistake

Patrick awoke, groaning as he rubbed his head. There was surely a large bruise there now from when his kidnapper smashed his head against the door of the van. He wasn't too sure where he was- an empty room, nothing except a chair and a small window high up, just low enough for Patrick to see sky and tops of trees. Oh, how he wished to be free. He wondered how Pete and the band were coping- and his parents and Elisa  
 _Oh god, I miss you so much._  
Patrick wasn't sure who he was thinking about, but he knew it was probably everything right now.  
His head was pounding, how many times does a kidnapper have to hit him in the head? Were they trying to give him brain damage? Patrick was sure he already had concussion.   
_My kidnapper._  
Where was she?   
_She._  
More like who was she...  
Patrick recognised her voice and face from somewhere he couldn't recall.   
He would wait until she came in, and Patrick would ask what she wanted with him.   
_I never knew being kidnapped could be so incredibly_ boring.   
Patrick had been sat in this room for what felt like hours when he finally heard the footsteps of his captor approaching lightly and swiftly, definitely a woman.  
Patrick suddenly grew nervous, what was she going to do to him? Chances are he would die here one way or another, the chance of him escaping or being set free was pretty much non existent.   
The door was suddenly shoved open, and Patrick's captor walked in, a twisted demented grin on her face, and before he could say a word her hands were wrapped around his throat.   
"I see you're awake. Did you have a nice sleep?" She sneered in Patrick's face, and dropped him into the chair, binding his arms and legs.   
Patrick rubbed his neck and croaked out,  
"W-what d-do you want f-from me?"  
He tried to sound brave, but his fear shone bright through the facade that would fool no one.   
"It's not you I wanted in the first place, you idiot. It's Pete I need. Revenge on Pete." She snarled bitterly.   
Patrick's mind whirled at a thousand miles an hour.   
_Why does she want revenge on Pete? What did he do? He would never do anything to anyone that would lead to this. And why did she take me instead?_  
"S-so why did you take me?" He asked, stuttering out of fear.   
He received a hard slap in the face that would surely leave a mark, and cried out in pain.   
"Don't speak unless you are told to!" She more or less screamed in Patrick's face, which still stung from the slap.   
"Now.. To answer your question. I couldn't take Pete, although that was originally my plan. I only just managed to steal your backstage pass, but I really needed Petes so that he would be alone looking for his pass when I would capture him. But of course, you fucked it up. Like you fuck up everything." She explained angrily.   
Patrick cringed at the harsh words, he always took comments like that to heart.   
"So I sneaked backstage whilst you were getting ready, as you know. They didn't question the pass I stole from you. You know what happened from that point onwards."  
 _So that's what happened to my backstage pass._  
Patrick thought of one more important question.   
"S-so..." He trailed off, seeing the murderous look in his captors eyes.   
"Fine. Continue." She sighed frustratedly.   
"What are you going to do now that you don't have Pete?" He asked.   
"I thought you would ask that. I'll use you as bait to lure Pete here alone, then you'll both swiftly meet your ends. You're never leaving here alive, Patrick" she said.   
_No. I can't let Pete die. He's my best friend._  
"But what did Pete do? Why are you even doing this?" He almost shouted, promptly receiving a death glare.  
"None of your business, Patrick." She said coldly, before walking out of the room taking care to lock the door behind her, leaving Patrick to process what he'd just been told.   
_He was never going to leave here alive._


	7. If I Dont Wake Up Dead

Pete didn't understand, who would want to kidnap and, very possibly, murder Patrick? He was the sweetest, most innocent and best friend Pete ever had. He instantly felt guilt wash over him for yet another time.   
_He must be terrified, poor thing._  
He felt sick to his stomach whenever he thought about what happened to him. He didn't deserve such a tragic end.   
Pete wondered if perhaps it was better that Patrick had been killed, he wouldn't  have to suffer like he would be right now if he was still alive. Pete decided out of the kindness of his heart that he wished for Patrick to be dead if he weren't already. He couldn't stand the thought of his best friend dying by suffering and torture, he'd take the chance Patrick was shot or run over any day.   
Pete looked up to see a post it note on the wall and blinked away the tears. He was sure it wasn't there earlier. He turned it over to reveal sloppily scrawled writing;

_Pete,_   
_I have your friend. You know where I am._   
_Every hour from now he loses a limb until he is dead._   
_I take it you get the idea._   
_Don't try anything or he dies instantly._   
_Your one and only,_   
_S.M_

"It's all my fault" Pete whispered in despair, and collapsed to his knees in shock.


	8. One More Shot Then I'm Quitting Forever

Pete stood shakily, the note in his hand. He had to find Patrick. _S.M,_ it had said. There was only one person Pete knew who had those initials, he just hoped it wasn't them or it looked like Patrick wouldn't last long.

_Sophie Millis_

Pete suddenly felt nauseous. It was the name of a girl Pete had almost drunkenly kissed at a bar two years ago, he was surprised he could still remember.

_Pete stood glaring angrily at a highly intoxicated  girl, smoke drifting around the bar in time to Pete's slightly drunken swaying. Pete's hands curled into fists as the girl attempted to flirt with him once more. She wasn't doing a good job of it._

_"Kiss me, Petey. Just do it. You've got nothing to lose, you know you want to" She slurred drunkenly_   
_"No, Sophie. I have a girlfriend. This isn't right, leave me alone"  Pete snapped, causing the girl to lash out in anger. Sophie grabbed Pete's face and tried to pull him towards her._   
_"Hey! Get off me!" Pete shouted harshly, shoving her off of him. "I have a girlfriend, leave me alone!"_   
_"Fine. Remember, one day you'll regret this. Don't forget."_

Pete shuddered at the horrible memory. Being two years since, he didn't think Sophie would still be after him. Pete really didn't want to go after a dangerous kidnapper, but if he wasn't fast enough, Patrick could lose a limb or even die, and he couldn't let that happen.  
Pete ran outside and jumped in his car, fresh hot tears streaming down his face . His best friend's life was in his hands and it was almost to much, but Pete's determination to save Patrick burned through it. Pete drove as fast as he could through the streets of Chicago, muttering "sorry" to the pedestrians alarmed at his erratic driving as he swerved down the road. Pete pulled out his mobile phone and almost dropped it in his hurry, juggling it between his hands whilst trying to drive. With difficulty he managed to dial Joe's number, and raised his shaking hand to his ear.

 _Damn, i'm going to get pulled over for this_ , he thought.

"Joe, are you there? Joe? JOE?!" Pete practically screamed down the phone.

"Pete? What's going on? Are you okay?" Joe's voice answered, full of worry.  
"Joe, I know who has Patrick. I need to go now now before he gets hurt, I don't have much time" Pete said, blinking tears out of his eyes.   
"Pete where ar..." Pete hung up as he needed to concentrate to remember where the house Patrick was being held in was.

\--  
 _(Patrick)_

"Looks like your precious time is running out, Tricky" Sophie laughed at Patrick's dire situation.   
"Don't call me that" Patrick snarled, he'd had enough of this teasing.   
"Well, would you look at that. One hour since Pete read the note. You know what that means" she teased.   
"Oh god, please no! No, no, no..." Patrick squeaked weakly as his arm was slammed onto a cold metal table.   
"Looks like Pete doesn't care about you after all." She enjoyed playing with Patrick's emotions. Sophie took her time picking a weapon to do her next job.   
"He does. He's my best frien... Wait, no stop! No , no , no, no NO!" Patrick screamed, eyes now shining with tears. Sophie raised the knife above his hand, enjoying Patrick's fear.   
"You still think he cares, Patrick?" She laughed, her arm swung downwards in a deadly arc, knife in hand, down towards Patrick's wrist. He was now shuddering in fear, choking on tears.   
An inhuman screech echoed around the room as the knife hit its mark, slicing through flesh and bone. It's victim then fell silent, blood steadily dripping to the floor and a psychotic laugh reverberating throughout the building.

\--  
 _(Pete)_

Pete looked at the clock on the car.   
"Shit, shit, shit.. Oh no. Oh my god"  
The clock read one hour and five minutes since Pete had received the note that threatened to dismember Patrick, one limb every hour. Pete couldn't hold it back anymore, he let the tears stream down his face.   
_Please, hang in there Patrick. For me, for Elisa and Joe and Andy. Come on._  
 _I can't lose you, not now. Not when I'm so close._  
Pete knew deep down inside that his best friend was far from okay, and possibly missing a limb. He just hoped that Patrick would still be alive for him to save him when he arrived.   
Pete tightened his grip on the steering wheel, pressing down even harder on the accelerator. He was not going to lose his best friend tonight. No chance.


	9. Where Is Your Boy Tonight?

**Pete-**

Pete stumbled out of his car without bothering to put the handbrake on, there wasn't any point, all he had to do was get to Patrick. God knows what had already happened to him by now. Pete assumed that this would be where Patrick was being held , it was Sophie's old house. She never sold it after she moved out about a year ago. Not many people knew it existed since it did not have a registered address. The perfect place for a kidnapping.   
The house and been neglected, not that it ever looked good before anyway. The facade was peeling off and the paint was faded and cracked by the weather, however the inside was just as Pete remembered it. It hadn't changed much since Pete had last seen her here. He shuddered at the memory.   
Pete walked slowly up the path to the front door, not sure if he was ready to face the horrors in that building of nightmares. He plucked a wilting flower from the bush by the edge of the path. It was weak, neglected and dying.   
_Just like my best friend..._ Pete thought as he twirled the small flower by it's dry stalk in his fingers. He knew that sooner or later he'd have to walk through that door, and save Patrick.   
_If there's anything left of him to save_  
Pete thought sadly to himself. What if he went in, and Patrick was dead? He was running out of time, so Pete approached the door of the house, and gently pushed on it. It creaked open, surprisingly unlocked, making Pete jump. He knew he was at the right place now. Sophie was expecting him.   
Pete listened for any sound. Any sound other than the silence would have been good, Pete had no idea if anyone was there, or where they were or even if Patrick was still alive.   
_Now where would a kidnapper keep her victim?_  
He wasn't sure where he was meant to be looking in the house.   
_Basement? No... Too cliché. Actually, then again, serial killers and psychopaths are always cliché..._  
Pete soon found an obvious doorway in the hall, under the stairs, obviously very little effort was given to hide it. He saw a light coming from under the (cork tree) door, and he was very sure now that this is where she was. At least he'd got the right house. Pete gulped and pushed the door to the basement open. It briefly crossed his mind that he could have brought some kind of weapon or at least texted Joe, Andy or Meagan first. Everyone would be wondering what happened to Wintour. Well, if Patrick was dead or missing a limb then they certainly weren't touring right now.   
Pete reached the bottom of the stairs to the basement, and taking a few deep breaths to brace himself for whatever was down there, stepped into the dimly lit room.

Blood.   
Blood everywhere.   
The walls, the floor...   
And Pete knew exactly who this blood belonged to.   
His eyes traveled down to the right in the corner.   
And he felt like throwing up.   
_Patrick...._  
His bandmate and best friend lay unmoving in a heap in the corner of the basement, covered in blood. Pete instantly threw himself to his knees beside his friend. He was about to check Patrick for a pulse, but when his fingers brushed his friend's still neck, Patrick twitched slightly. Pete let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in relief, however the relief was short lived when he caught sight of Patrick's severed hand. Pete struggled to keep his lunch down for about the third time this afternoon. He glanced up, hearing a noise. Pete also noticed the bloody table and knife not so far away.   
"Well, look who showed up"


	10. Sunset In My Veins

Patrick vaguely registered Pete's worried voice as his consciousness slowly returned. The first thing the singer noticed was the unbearable stinging, aching pain in his left wrist. Then he felt the cold hard concrete floor of the basement pressed against his cheek.   
_Why am I here, lying on the floor?_ Patrick thought. Then earlier's events came rushing back to him;  
 _The cold metal knife sliced through the bone of Patrick's wrist as he writhed and fought and screamed to be released. Tears were streaming down the small man's face as the weapon made a clang as the blade hit the metal underneath what used to be Patrick's left hand and wrist. Patrick began to feel lightheaded, the steady dripping of his blood off of the table made him feel nauseous. He barely registered being untied and thrown to the hard ground as his vision faded to darkness._

Patrick tensed up at the disturbing memory, but relaxed instantly when he felt Pete's hand brush his neck and spoke to him softly. Everything was going to be okay, Pete was here and he was going to save him. They were going to get out of here.   
"Well, look who showed up" A feminine voice spoke from the other side of the room. Patrick's eyes shot open at the sound of her voice, the one responsible for the singers' severed hand.   
Pete whipped around to face Sophie, a look of pure rage on his face as he stood protectively over Patrick , who was still lying helplessly on the floor.   
"You did this! You hurt my best friend! You're a monster!" Pete all but screamed at the woman standing across from him. He started to furiously walk over to Sophie , but stopped in his tracks.   
_Click._  
Sophie pulled a gun from behind her, clicking the safety off. She had clearly been expecting this scenario. She flashed a deadly smile as she moved the gun from Patrick to Pete and back again continuously.   
"Now then, take a step further, Pete , and I'll shoot your pathetic excuse for a friend. "  
They both stared each other off for a minute, before Sophie's eyes flicked away for just a second. Pete lunged quickly to grab the gun out of her hands, but his reach fell short as Sophie aimed once more.   
_BANG._  
A scream echoed around the room.   
Pete stood in the centre of the room, still over Patrick, breathing in deep uneven breaths as Patrick writhed in pain, clutching his shin.   
"I wasn't joking" she said with a smirk, and walked out, locking the door behind her.   
Pete remained standing in that spot for a minute or so, still frozen in shock. He was snapped out of his daze when Patrick cried out in pain once more. Pete quickly bent down and inspected his friend's leg. The bullet had embedded itself deep in Patrick's leg, there was no way Pete could get it out without causing permanent nerve or muscle damage. He needed a doctor, but first he had to stop his small friend from quickly bleeding to death. Patrick continued to wriggle and sob into the bloodstained floor of the basement, making small whimpering noises whenever Pete touched his injured leg.   
Pete tied a strip of cloth from his shirt into Patrick's leg.   
"We'll get out of here, buddy, I'll make sure"


	11. The Record Won't Stop Skipping

**-Andy and Joe-**

"Andy, dude, I'm worried about Pete. He called me saying he knew where Patrick was, and hasn't spoken since. He was driving when I last spoke with him" Joe worriedly muttered to Andy.   
"I swear to god, if Pete dies trying to save Patrick, I'll kill Patrick myself" Andy growled irritably.   
"Andy! How can you say that? Pete is currently our only chance of finding him, since the police are doing fuck all" Joe blurted.   
Joe, Andy, Pete and Elisa had called the police as soon as they found out Patrick was missing, and had gone to the police station to give as much information as they could about his disappearance. After all, they were all suspects themselves. As far as the police knew, it could have been anyone. Even their driver and venue staff were questioned, there was no way of knowing who did it, the kidnapper was far too good at covering their tracks. The only person who knows Patrick's kidnapper and and potential killer is Pete, and he won't pick up his phone and hasn't shown up for hours.   
"I'm sorry Joe, I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so worried about Pete and Patrick. I don't think we'll ever see Patrick alive again and I couldn't stand Pete ending up the same way." Andy sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I just can't take thinking about them. I miss them both so much"  
"It's alright man" Joe said, tearing up slightly, eyes shining with tears.   
"We'll find them" _dead or alive..._

**-Brendon, Elisa and Meagan-**

"It's alright Elisa, just let it all out"  
Brendon was comforting a wailing Elisa , while Meagan sobbed quietly beside him. The case of Patrick's kidnapping had just been confirmed,"closed until further evidence". The police didn't have enough leads to continue to investigate the case, it was a dead end. As for Pete, the police were currently trying to track his phone to his last known location, from when Joe rang him in the car. Patrick's status was "Missing, presumed dead" and Pete was missing. The news had destroyed all of them, all of their friends and family. Except now, Meagan and Elisa were single mothers.   
"I can't! This can't be real!" Elisa's screams had now reduced to sobs as she grieved her lost husband. Brendon couldn't believe that all this had happened so fast. He'd quickly told Sarah and had taken the next plane to Chicago. He could only hope his best friends returned safely.

**-Pete-**

"Shhh...you'll be okay Patrick" Pete whispered, holding the small man in his arms to keep him warm and off of the cold, dirty basement floor. The last thing he needed was for Patrick's leg to become infected, Pete knew his friend wouldn't survive and it would be such a painful way to go. Pete now had tears rolling down his cheeks as Patrick whimpered in pain into his jacket.   
_I can't believe this. We're never getting out, I can't escape with Patrick like this, I don't even know if he'll survive another night. Sophie hasn't fed us yet, and besides, she's got a gun._  
 _God I miss Meagan and Bronx so much, I bet Elisa is destroyed. I hope someone's there for them if we don't ever escape this place..._  
Pete's thoughts began to overwhelm him, the cold air of the basement chilling him to the bone. He scooted back into the corner, bringing Patrick with him, bundled up in his arms. Pete hugged Patrick closer to his face, their cheeks touching, Pete's warm one against Patrick's cold one. They were each other's only source of warmth. Pete squeezed Patrick tightly and buried his head into Patrick's neck.   
"We'll be okay, we'll be okay" he breathed.


	12. Kisses On The Necks Of Best Friends

**-Pete-**  
Pete groggily opened his eyes and peeled his cheek off of Patrick's neck. His friend however was still sleeping. Pete shivered from the cold and pulled Patrick closer again, and he began to shift around and woke up slowly.   
It was a mystery to Pete how Patrick had slept with his injuries. He must have been exhausted.  
"Mmmm" Patrick groaned as he opened his eyes and tried to move out of Pete's grip. His relaxed face suddenly scrunched up in pain and he cried out when he leaned on his injured leg.  
"Shhh, Patrick. It's okay" Pete soothed, although he knew that without medical attention he was far from okay. Patrick wearily raised his head and Pete snapped his head up instantly when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the basement door.   
When Sophie stepped through the basement door, holding a gun as usual, Patrick began to tremble at the sight of the woman and her weapon as Pete rubbed his shoulders in an attempt to calm him.   
"So, Pete. I see your small friend Patrick here needs a bit of help. Do you want me to tend to his leg?" Sophie stated plainly.   
Pete was confused and rather wary of what the woman was saying. He knew she wouldn't help him that easily.   
"What's the catch?" Pete growled in reply.   
Sophie smirked  
"Well aren't you a smart one. You see, it was never Patrick I wanted. Since I couldn't get you alone, I had to take your friend Patrick here" she emphasised by kicking Patrick hard in the stomach, causing him to slump to the floor and cry out in pain,"instead as leverage to get you to me."  
Pete was absolutely fuming. His best friend was shot in the leg and was sick and traumatised just to get to Pete. He felt sick.   
"So what do I have to do to get you to save Patrick?" Pete said through clenched teeth.   
"Simple. All you have to do is break up with Meagan and be with me. Easy enough?" She said arrogantly.   
Pete's breathing hitched. He had to choose between leaving Patrick to die, or losing his girlfriend and child. He also wouldn't be allowed to visit Bronx and Ashlee either, and he'd never see Saint again. It was his whole family, or just his best friend. He thought about how much he loved his family, and then looked down at Patrick. He surely wouldn't survive much longer, he was gently looking up at Pete with soft eyes and tears on his cheeks.   
"I-it's alright Pete. Go with your family. I'm n-not worth saving.." His quiet voice trailed off as he sighed deeply and slumped back to the floor in pain and exhaustion. Tears were threatening to fall from Pete's eyes as he looked at his best friend. This was his only chance to save him, declining Sophie's offer would sentence Patrick to death. But he couldn't lose his entire family...  
"It seems like you're having trouble deciding. Would it help if I were to harm your family?" Sophie sneered, enjoying watching Pete's heart break before her eyes.   
"No! No...please. Not my family. Not my children!" Pete pleaded. He couldn't let his family be harmed. Pete couldn't believe he had to choose between the life of his best friend or having a family. He looked down at the half dead Patrick whimpering in pain on the floor, and tried to block out the sound whilst choking on his own tears. He looked back up to Sophie.   
"I've decided"


	13. The Best Part Of Believe Is The Lie

**-Pete-**

Pete was openly sobbing now.   
"I've decided" he said through broken sobs.   
"I'm so sorry...Patrick...I'm sorry"   
Pete was breaking down now. Patrick looked up at Pete with sad, teary eyes but said,   
"Pete, it's alright. You did the right thing. I'm proud of you".  
Pete turned away from his friend, unable to look at him any longer.   
"Alright. I've made my choice. Now let me go and leave my family and I alone" Pete said.   
Sophie cursed under her breath.   
"You seriously think I'll let you go? I thought you'd want to save your friend. Apparently not. Now cooperate, or he dies" she said, pulling out the gun once more, but this time it was aimed at Patrick's head.   
"No! No stop! I'll do it! Just don't hurt him ... Please.." Pete cried desperately. If he wasn't going to get out of here he might as well save Patrick.   
"I thought so" Sophie said slyly with a smirk on her face that Pete wanted to slap off.   
"Do it. Do it now and I'll save Patrick." She said, passing Pete his phone. She'd taken it off him when he arrived.   
Pete dialled Meagan's number with shaking hands. He didn't want to do this, he loved her so much.   
"Hey Meagan. It's Pete." Pete tried to speak without his fear or sadness showing through so that it was convincing enough to Meagan. If he didn't do this right, he wouldn't have his family or Patrick.   
"Pete? Pete is that you? Oh my gosh, are you alright? Is Patrick okay?" Her questions continued endlessly.   
"Listen, Meagan, I don't know if I can do this anymore with you." Pete said as steadily as he could. "It's just not working for me"  
"Pete... What are you talking about? What do you mean? PETE! Answer me!" Meagan cried down the phone.   
"I'm breaking up with you Meagan. It's for the best." Pete struggled to get the words out, and immediately hung up. He broke down crying right there.   
Sophie took the phone back from Pete, grinning madly.   
"Great. Now that's over with..." She turned around and grabbed Patrick under his arms, since he now only had one hand. Sophie slowly half carried, half dragged the limp Patrick out of the basement as Pete looked on with teary eyes.

**-Joe and Meagan-**

Joe had decided to stay with Meagan for a while to help her with Pete's disappearance, while Andy went to stay with Elisa. However, he knew something was wrong when he heard Meagan crying as he walked into the living room.   
"Meagan! Are you alright? What happened?" Joe asked.   
Meagan was still clutching her phone in her hands.  
"P-P-Pete called" she whispered quietly.   
"Oh my god! Pete called you? Is he okay? Is... Patrick... Alive?" He asked cautiously, Joe wasn't sure what Meagan was crying about yet, but he knew it wouldn't be good.   
"Pete... He ... He broke up with me" Meagan sobbed. Joe was utterly speechless. Broke up? Wasn't he finding Patrick? What reason did he have to break up with Meagan, and did he ever find Patrick? None of this was making sense to him. It didn't fit. There was no reason for Pete to leave Meagan and his children.   
"Anything about Patrick?" He asked tentatively, fearing Meagan's answer.   
"No. I asked, but the only thing he said was he was breaking up with me and our relationship wasn't working out." She replied.   
Something wasn't right here.


	14. I Don't Blame You, For Being You

Patrick had been gone for, what Pete assumed was, about two days. He was driven almost insane by the loneliness in the damp, dark basement. He had no one for warmth or to confide in, left alone with his thoughts. It was eating him from the inside out. Pete was given food and water once a day now- usually a sandwich. He longed for Meagan's cooking, or Patrick's recipes when he stayed over at his house. Pete wondered about Patrick, like he had been doing for hours. He was mostly worried if Sophie hadn't managed to save him- if he'd never see his best friend again.   
_But you were prepared to kill him to save your family. You're so selfish Pete. He'll never trust you again._  
Just as Pete couldn't take his thoughts anymore, the door to the basement swung open, making Pete jump up abruptly. Someone was shoved through the door and landed face first on the ground with a strangled yelp.   
As soon as they tried to get up, they were tackled straight to the ground again by an ecstatic Pete Wentz.   
"Ah! Ouch, Pete! My leg!" Patrick squeaked and Pete hugged him tightly.   
"Sorry buddy, I thought I'd never see you again" he whispered into Patrick's shoulder.   
"It's alright Pete. I'm rather shaky but otherwise alright...kinda" Patrick's face darkened considerably on the last part of the sentence.   
"Why... Patrick, what happened?" Pete queried tentatively.   
"I.. I don't wanna talk about it right now. Not ever really. You don't need to know, Pete" Patrick said quietly, the last few words barely audible.   
Pete was very concerned for his friend, he had to know what happened but he decided that Patrick had been through enough and he didn't need any more trauma. Right now, he was simply enjoying Patrick's presence. He wasn't alone anymore.   
"So, how have you been, Pete?" Patrick changed the subject.   
"Not so good since you left, actually" Pete admitted. He'd been so incredibly lonely.   
"I'm sorry Pete. I shouldn't have left you" Patrick apologised, earning a loud sarcastic scoff from Pete,  
"What? You're sorry? Patrick, I ... I was going to kill you, I would have killed you... You're not the one to be apologising" Pete stated.   
"But, Pete...I"   
"No, Patrick. What kind of a guy can watch his best friend die in front of him? I'll never forgive myself Patrick. " Pete said tearfully.   
"Well..." Patrick said nervously, playing with his hand, "I forgive you."   
He was suddenly engulfed in another hug from Pete, almost suffocating the small musician.   
"Love you too Pete" Patrick wheezed as Pete squeezed the life out of him.   
"I don't deserve a friend like you, Patrick" Pete cried once more.

**~Ashlee, Meagan, Joe, Andy and Elisa~**

"Pete did WHAT?" Ashlee yelled at Meagan and Joe, Elisa and Andy struck completely speechless.   
"You heard me, Ashlee. Pete left me and the boys" Meagan repeated tearfully. Ashlee was mad- he'd dumped his kids and girlfriend. Everyone was in doubt however, because they knew this was very unlike Pete.   
"Are you sure he sounded sincere?" Elisa asked, she was still upset about Patrick but was almost just as worried for Pete. He was their long term closest friend. Elisa and Andy had discussed what might have happened, they all knew that Patrick was kidnapped, and Pete being his best friend, went to find him.   
"I don't know. He sounded like he was crying, and I think there was someone else there too. And it wasn't Patrick" Meagan explained. Elisa perked up at the mention of her beloved husband's name, but felt sadness wash over her again as she remembered his kidnapping. She didn't know how she'd live or raise Declan without him, if they found him dead or worse, never found him.   
"Wait..." Elisa began,"if Pete disappeared looking for Patrick, and you said the last time he called you was to say he'd found where Patrick was and he was going in. Do you think ... Maybe.... Pete's been captured with Patrick?"   
The room fell silent.


	15. Oh, Nostalgia

Pete was bored to death of this basement. It was barren, other than that tiny window that Pete would so often gaze out of , wishing to be free. There was also the horrific bloody table with weapons, he didn't dare go near that. Patrick had explained about his...missing hand.   
"Hey, buddy" Pete nudged Patrick awake, who was leaning on Pete as he slept. Pete was very relieved that his friend was alright. He was almost back to normal now, although he'd often just stare into space and respond to nothing, which worried Pete sometimes.   
"Why'd you wake me up, Pete?" Patrick complained, stretching his small legs.   
"I don't know. I was bored I guess. Everything in here is boring" Pete sighed.   
"Well, I'm awake now, so you can speak to me. Or am I boring too?" Patrick asked with a shine of laughter in his eyes.   
"Oh.. So very boring. I can't stand speaking to you, Patrick. You bore me to death" Pete said jokingly.   
"Being dead would be better than this" Patrick muttered sadly, the laughter short-lived, "have you not thought of a way we could get out yet?" He asked Pete.  
"Patrick, you've been back in here for a day. I need time" Pete said.   
"I don't like it here. I hate it. I can't sing or I get slapped, I can't leave or I'll be killed. I can't stay here much longer, Pete!" Patrick pleaded.  
"You know, Patrick, as much as I wish you were free right now, I'm so glad you're here with me. I was going insan-" Pete was cut off by Patrick, who was pacing up and down the small basement, doubling over in a coughing fit.   
"Patrick? Are you alright?"  
"I'm... Just fine... Pete" he wheezed, stumbling over to Pete and sitting down next to him against the wall whilst he caught his breath   
"What was that?" Pete wondered aloud.   
"What? The coughing? Just the cold damp air I think" Patrick replied. "Not exactly healthy living conditions down here, in case you didn't notice."   
Pete chuckled at Patrick's comment.   
"How's your leg then, Patrick?" Pete asked.   
"Feels okay. Just a little sore and shaky.. And... Doesn't look all too beautiful" Patrick said.   
Pete pulled up the bottom of Patrick's trouser leg, despite a small noise of protest from Patrick.   
"Man, that doesn't look so good" Pete observed, "I mean, it's much better than it was a few days ago, but it's not great buddy"  
"Yeah, it's pretty clear that Sophie's no trained doctor" Patrick agreed. He sighed, and went into one of those weird daydreams, like Pete noticed he'd been doing a lot lately. Pete watched the vacant expression on his bandmate's face as he stared at the wall, and wondered what was going through Patrick's head. Patrick looked normal, but not quite... _there._ He looked broken, but Pete guessed that having his hand violently chopped from his wrist (Pete winced at the thought) and being shot in the shin soon after could do a lot to a person, even to someone like Patrick, who was usually happy and bubbly and a fun person in general. Pete remembered that Patrick had said something else as well- he'd said that Sophie had done something else to him, but he didn't want to speak about it. Maybe that's what it was.  
The two sat in silence for a while, maybe an hour or two - Pete had no way of telling down here. Eventually, Patrick fell asleep and fell sideways onto Pete, making him jump. He put an arm around Patrick and let him rest his head in the crook of Pete's neck while Pete devised a plan to escape, hopefully one which would see Patrick free too.


	16. Going Down Swinging

_Pete sighed deeply as Patrick snored softly and his fringe fell over his eyes. Pete brushed it back from his friend's face as he devised a plan to escape. He had one- the problem being he wasn't sure how badly it would affect Patrick. They only had one shot at this._

Pete shot awake from his sleep- he'd drifted off and slumped against Patrick, both of them leaning against each other. There weren't many sleeping options other than the concrete floor. Patrick was a good enough pillow to Pete for now.   
It was still dark outside- starlight dimly lighting a small square on the basement floor as it beamed through the tiny window near the roof.   
The tiny spotlight reminded Pete of the tour they were on before they got into this... Mess. Wintour. Pete had high hopes to reschedule the dates they'd missed one day, if they got out alive (maybe not so much in one piece, in Patrick's case of course).   
Pete wasn't sure of the time- it could be anywhere from midnight to 4am and he wouldn't know. Despite the early start, Pete couldn't get back to sleep.   
_What's the point, all I'm going to do today is sit around in this basement._  
However he'd had plenty of time to make a plan to escape this hell hole. Honestly, Pete would do anything to be free right now. All he could hope was that when the timing was right, all would go as planned and Patrick would cooperate with him, or someone was going to get killed. Pete wasn't going to tell Patrick of this particular plan- he thought it would go much smoother without letting him know.   
As Pete was lost in his intense planning and daydreaming, he hadn't noticed that Patrick was slipping off Pete's shoulder. Pete was snapped out of his thoughts by Patrick sliding down his arm and, before he could catch his friend, face planted onto the floor with a _thump._  
Patrick woke with a discontented groan as Pete quickly picked the singer off the floor.   
_"Peeeetttteeee"_ Patrick sighed as Pete pulled him back up and brushed the dirt off his cheek.   
"Patrick! I'm sorry, I didn't notice!" Pete apologised whilst trying not to laugh.  
"Here, I got you" Pete said, holding Patrick tight with _both_ arms this time.   
Patrick mumbled with his face squished into Pete's jacket, "Well I'm not sleeping now, am I?" Patrick said irritably, although he happily rested in Pete's embrace.   
Pete groaned loudly when he heard Sophie slowly and loudly walking down the stairs to the basement, it was like she did it for a dramatic effect. She probably did.   
The difference today was that this time they would hopefully be getting out of here.   
Pete was certain it was going to work- Sophie would think she had the upper hand the whole time.  
She strolled in casually, heels tapping on the floor and echoing off the walls as she walked.   
"Now, what to do with you boys" she smirked.   
_It's now or never_ ****Pete thought.  
He stood up quickly, roughly shoving Patrick onto the hard floor and kicking him away from him, earning a surprised and pained squeak from the small singer.   
"Pete wha-" Pete "accidentally" stepped to the side and trod on Patrick's good hand, and he growled at Patrick;  
"Shut up"   
With Patrick silenced, Pete turned to his captor who was smiling in delight.   
"Got sick of being stuck with him, did you?" She joked with Pete, who returned the cold chuckle.   
"Can I bargain my freedom?" Pete asked, plain and bluntly. Sophie stopped laughing immediately and went into deep thought. Pete knew exactly what was going to happen.   
"Get rid of _that_ " she said, pointing to Patrick, "Then we'll talk".   
Sophie held the gun outstretched to Pete.   
"My pleasure" Pete almost purred, in a way that sent tremors down Patrick's spine. Patrick was shaking now, his cheeks sticky with tears.   
"Look at how pathetic he is" Pete snarled, taking his time loading the gun , striking as much fear into Patrick as possible. Patrick's eyes widened and Pete saw surprise, shock, betrayal and pure fear flash across them as the gun barrel was aimed between his eyes.   
Pete laughed like a maniac, acting like a child with a water gun on his friend, not a loaded pistol.   
"P-P-Pete... You... Don't do this! Please!"  
Pete smirked as Patrick couldn't form full sentences. He held the weapon in place for a minute or so as he watched Patrick's expressions change and tried to guess what he was thinking.   
"I-I-I...P-Pete..." He whispered, "why?"

_BANG._

Pete's ears rung as the shot echoed around the basement. Sophie was unconscious. Patrick fell forward with a soft thud on to the concrete floor.  
A beautiful silence rang in Pete's ears.

_Sometimes the person you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger_


	17. One More Troubled Soul

_Patrick was dreaming._   
_Dreaming of playing shows in front of adoring crowds, of his wife and son, of his friends. All was peaceful here, no pain._   
_He was vaguely aware of a sensation of  his cheek running along a hard fabric, and felt like he was falling._   
**_How lovely,_ ** _he thought._

_Thud._

_Patrick groaned loudly as he was woken from his peaceful dream-world._   
_"Peeeettteee" he moaned as he lay on the cold floor. He must have been resting on Pete's shoulder, who had now moved, causing Patrick to fall to the floor. Patrick finally opened his eyes, blinking blearily as Pete lifted Patrick onto his lap, gently cleaning the dirt off Patrick's cheek with his thumb._   
_"Patrick! I'm sorry! I didn't notice!" Pete apologised, gripping Patrick with both arms this time.  "Here, I got you"._   
_Patrick gave Pete the best death glare he could muster when he could see Pete struggling to keep down his laughter._   
_"Well I'm not sleeping now, am I?" Patrick said irritably._   
_It faded quickly however when Pete smushed Patrick's face into his jacket in a tight hug to keep him warm. Patrick sighed softly as he finally gave in and sank into Pete's warm hug._   
_Patrick had settled down and was just drifting off again with Pete rubbing his shoulders when he heard a noise from above the basement. He could only hope it wasn't who he thought it was._   
_Patrick heard the door open, still hazy with sleep._   
_"Now, what to do with you boys" Patrick half-listened. Suddenly, Pete stood up, throwing Patrick to the ground. Patrick squeaked in pain and surprise as his body collided with the concrete._   
**_What are you doing, Pete?_ ** _Patrick thought confusedly._   
_"Pete wha-" he began, but as soon as he got the first word out, Pete casually stepped to the side. The heel of his boot came down on Patrick's good hand. Pete smirked when Patrick gasped in pain as his fingers were crushed. Tears started to well up in Patrick's eyes again, what was going on? Whose side was Pete on?_   
_"Shut up" Pete growled at Patrick, before turning back to face Sophie, who was grinning like a child on Christmas._   
_"Got sick of being stuck with him, did you?" She laughed, Pete joining in on poking at Patrick's misery. He couldn't believe what was going on. Pete wouldn't hurt him, surely?_   
_"Can I bargain my freedom?" Pete asked abruptly. Sophie was silent for a minute. Patrick's heart dropped to his feet when she turned her thoughtful gaze on the small singer._   
_"Get rid of that" she said, gesturing to Patrick, "then we'll talk."_   
_Pete looked at the gun in her hand, offering it to Pete._   
_He wouldn't take it ... He won't. Would he? Would he really kill his best friend? Patrick began to have doubts as he remembered the last time his life was in Pete's hands. Pete was ready to kill him for a chance to go back home._   
_Pete, to Patrick's horror, took the gun from her hands._   
_"My pleasure" he purred. Patrick was shaking intensely and shaking his head in disbelief as Pete slowly loaded the pistol. "Look how pathetic he is"._   
_Patrick's heart stammered as Pete aimed the gun between Patrick's eyes. This was it. Pete was actually going to do it this time. Patrick could feel his mind numbing as the thought of his impending death consumed his thoughts. He could see Pete smiling smugly as he watched Patrick's small chest quickly rising up and down in tiny , shallow breaths. He could see the terror written all over Patrick._   
_"I-I-I...P-Pete" he sniffled. "Why?"_

_BANG_

_Patrick heard the sound of the gun and immediately felt the last of his consciousness leave him quickly. For the third time that day, Patrick slumped forward, this time unmoving._

**_Sometimes the person you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger_ **


	18. Hum Hallelujah

Pete stared at the two bodies on the floor with satisfaction. He wasn't sure if his plan would work at first, he'd never shot a person before and he was worried that his aim would be off. It was all over now. He looked over at the gunshot wound in Sophie's leg.   
"That one's for Patrick, bitch" he spat at her unconscious form. Pete had been able to knock her out when she was injured.   
Pete's eyes skimmed over the still form of Patrick, who was lying face down in an uncomfortable position on the floor.   
_I'm sorry, buddy._  
Pete walked over to Patrick, and carefully turned him over to check if he had broken his nose in the fall.   
"Hey, 'Tricky, wake up" he said softly.

_Pete's plan was simple, albeit difficult to carry out. He was most concerned if Patrick would get hurt in the process. He wanted to tell his friend of the plan desperately, but Pete knew this was the only way it would be convincing enough for it to work. He also knew that Patrick was going to be in shock afterwards, so as much as he hated to do it, Pete had to scare his friend enough to make him pass out. He'd done it before- it didn't take much to get Patrick to faint if you knew how to do it. He knew he would regret it however, since dealing with Patrick after this would be a whole other challenge. Pete wasn't sure if he could regain Patrick's trust after what seemed like a murder attempt. He was sure it would be worth it though if they both made it out alive._

Patrick still didn't wake up- Pete must have scared him pretty bad. Or maybe it was from hitting his head hard on the floor. There was no time to waste, conscious or not. Pete quickly dragged Sophie out of the way of the door, wiping his hands on his shirt in disgust. Next, he carefully picked up his friend. After several failed attempts whilst muttering "sorry!" under his breath, he managed to sling Patrick over his shoulder. Pete just hoped that no one would call the police on him. Pete trudged out of the basement and up the stairs, slamming and locking the door in grim satisfaction. Sophie deserved to rot in that room after what she did to Patrick. Pete wanted to shoot her and kill her so badly, but he knew he couldn't do that. He wasn't a murderer. Pete's heart fluttered in his chest as he got closer and closer to the front door, to freedom. He reached out to open it, but stopped. How could they go out looking like this? They looked like they'd been in a car accident. Pete sighed and walked to the bathroom with Patrick still slung over his shoulder. He washed up, making sure to remove any dirt or blood on him or Patrick. Patrick's hand would be another issue though- Pete just made sure to cover it with his jacket sleeve and wrapped a towel around it incase it bled at all from the movement.   
Pete finally opened the door - sunlight hitting his eyes as he shielded them from the brightness. He was glad, however, that his car was still there. He'd also picked up his and Patrick's phones, and his car keys. They weren't hidden in any way. Pete walked down the drive, unlocked his car and carefully placed Patrick in the backseat. He also put the seatbelt on him so they hopefully wouldn't get pulled over. Pete sat leaning on the steering wheel of his car for a while, occasionally glancing in the mirror to check Patrick was still asleep. The events of the past .... He didn't know how long were still fresh in his mind and hard to process. What he was thinking about was how they were going to return without causing a scene, and how to deal with Patrick when he woke up. Pete started the car and edged it off of the curb. They couldn't go back yet- not now.


	19. Number One With A Bullet

Pete needed somewhere to lay low for a while, especially with Patrick being in poor condition. He drove up one of the main streets looking for a suitable hotel, Pete knew it couldn't be to fancy in case the staff recognised him. He also didn't know what he'd do with Patrick in a hotel like that. Someone would probably call the police.   
Pete has no idea if he and Patrick had been publicly declared missing yet. Hopefully they hadn't so that they wouldn't attract attention. He wasn't sure how long exactly they'd been held captive for, but Pete knew it was certainly long enough to miss some shows, since they were on tour, and he felt rather guilty about it even though it wasn't their fault.   
_Or was it?_  
Pete was angry at himself as he pulled up outside a quiet hotel just off the main street. It looked rather pleasant- a neat and tidy lobby with no one hanging around, and from what he could see it looked clean.   
Pete got out of car, and took off Patrick's seatbelt, slinging him over his shoulder again. Pete made it look like Patrick was more heavily drunk than knocked out cold, by having Patrick lean heavily against Pete's shoulder as they shuffled along. He walked through the doors with some difficulty and approached the desk with as much confidence as he could muster. They couldn't afford to raise suspicions.   
"What can I do for you?" The woman asked, eyeing Patrick sceptically.   
"A room for two please. This one... He's ... Ah... More than little tipsy" Pete replied, flicking Patrick playfully on the nose.   
"Alright... Can I get your names please?"  
"I'm Peter Wentz, and this is Patrick Stump" Pete answered nervously, praying she wouldn't recognise them. The woman raised her eyebrow as if she recognised the name, but shrugged it off. Pete sighed in relief.   
"Are you two...are you..."  
"No! No, he's my... Um, cousin. He's my cousin" Pete blushed.   
"If you insist. Here's your key, you're on the third floor"   
"Thanks"  
Pete trudged toward the elevator, practically dragging Patrick along beside him. He could feel the woman behind the desk watching them with confusion. Pete sighed as he waited for the elevator, and shortly the doors opened. He pulled Patrick inside with him, and hit the number of the third floor on the panel of buttons. The doors closed, and began moving upwards. Pete pressed his head against the cold metal of the door and groaned. This whole situation was a mess. Pete also wasn't sure how Patrick hadn't woken up yet, and in a way he was glad he hadn't, the bassist wasn't looking forward to dealing with his friend when he woke up. They both stumbled out of the lift when the doors opened, and made their way slowly down the hotel hallway to their room, and Pete counted the numbers on the doors until he got to theirs. The pair had earned an odd look from a woman unlocking her door and quickly going into her room, but thankfully they hadn't bumped into anyone else. Pete stopped outside the room door, and tried to get the key out of his pocket, which proved impossible with one hand, since the other was supporting Patrick. He shifted his friend so he was balancing against Pete's shoulder, so that the musician could use two hands to get the key and unlock the room. Just as he got it out, his shoulder knocked Patrick's chin and  the small singer fell to the floor rather loudly once again. Pete cursed under his breath, he really should stop doing that, it couldn't be good for Patrick. He wasn't doing a great job so far of caring for him. Pete lifted him up once again and took into the room, wondering how he hadn't woken up after falling on his face multiple times today. It was a miracle his nose was still intact.   
As soon as they were in, Pete locked the door behind them and placed Patrick in the double bed. It wasn't a bad room, they could stay here for long enough to get their lives mostly back on track. They didn't have much with them, save for the small bag of travel items Pete had stored in his car, he'd never thought they'd actually be useful.   
Pete froze as Patrick began to stir, making a small noise between a squeak and a sigh. Pete had to admit it was cute, but he dreaded what his friend would be like when he'd fully awoken.


	20. Teenage Vow In A Parking Lot

-Pete-

Pete had been sitting on the edge of Patrick's bed for at least half a day now, trying to catch up with the weeks of his life he missed. He scrolled endlessly through days worths of tweets and messages, condolences and grieving fans. He'd answered most of his burning questions, such as the fact they had indeed been publicly declared missing; Pete's heart twisted when he saw that it was assumed Patrick had been killed, he'd come so close to that becoming true so many times, they weren't even in the clear yet. Anything could happen, after all Patrick still hadn't woken up. However, the thing that was bothering the bassist the most was the "breakup" between him and Meagan. He'd imagined every possible scenario of her reaction when he returned 'home'. There was no real way to just show up after being missing for days and ask your ex to take you back - that'd be ridiculous. How were they going to get home? Transport wasn't an issue- what Pete was worrying about was how they would just show up at their houses like ,"Hey, you think I'm dead, but actually I'm not and will you go out with me again?"  
Pete decided to stop before he punched himself or Patrick in the face. Speaking of Patrick, Pete leaned over and took his good hand, rubbing it gently.   
"I'm so sorry this happened to you, buddy..." He started. "You'll probably hate me now, but I'll never let anyone touch you again, you hear? I don't care what you have to say about it, 'Tricky, you're not going anywhere" he finished.   
Patrick made a small noise similar to a whimper, and shifted away from Pete's touch.   
"No...no, please. Pete will save me, he won't leave me here, he won't let me get hurt. " Pete smiled at his words, but what he heard next came down on him like a ton of bricks.   
"Pete? No... Pete, not the gun, don't kill me! " he began to screech and wail, obviously re living what he thought would be his death. Pete couldn't stand it any longer, hearing Patrick's pained cries again. It felt like he was back in the basement again. He could almost feel the concrete and dirt beneath him and smell the damp, dirty air. He had to wake Patrick.   
"Hey! Snap out of it, wake up! It's not real!" Pete cried desperately, shaking his friends shoulders in a vain attempt to wake him.   
_Drastic times call for drastic measures._  
Pete grabbed the nearest glass of water he was drinking earlier, and chucked the whole thing over Patrick. Patrick stopped writhing and shouting and shot up, looking dazed and unfocused.   
"You're awake! I missed yo-"  
Patrick punched Pete right in the nose.


	21. 'Till Tonight Do Us part

**-Patrick-**

****_The object was suffocating him , strangling him._   
_Pete._   
_He can hear Pete._   
_Pete will save him, Pete is always there for him. He won't let Patrick get hurt._   
_But he did._   
_The gun._   
_Patrick can hear the metallic click of the weapon through the darkness of his own mind._   
_He was trapped , the darkness suffocating, closing in._   
_A gunshot was heard, and he felt a biting cold wash over his conscience._

Patrick awoke, scrabbling at the covers he had entangled himself in during his nightmare.   
_What's on my face?_  
A cold liquid dripped from his fringe and down his shirt, causing the small man to shiver. What he heard next felt like he was plunged into icy waters compared to the cool liquid poured on his head.   
"Patrick! You're awake! I missed you-"  
The once-comforting voice sent Patrick's mind into panic. He was going to die, Pete was going to shoot him and-  
Before he could stop himself, his fist shot out and connected with the bridge of Petes nose.   
"Ah! Patrick, what the fu-" Pete was clutching his nose as scarlet droplets dripped through his fingers onto the crisp white sheets of the hotel bed.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. It was driving him crazy. He could barely see, his eyes watered profusely with tears and his vision was tinted by his own blood running from the gash on his head. What was left of his wrist was strapped onto a metal table ... The severed end dripping blood onto the basement floor...._

This time both Pete and Patrick screamed as they tumbled from the bed onto the floor. Patrick was buried under the covers on the carpet for a second before a large weight landed on top of him, winding him. The former singer frantically tore the covers from his body and stood up - to see that Pete had fallen on top of him. Unfortunately for Pete , the bassist had hit his head on a cabinet during the fall, and was out cold.   
Patrick, his heart still racing , grabbed the butter knife from a tray on the cabinet, holding it out in front of him towards Pete in an attempt to defend himself. In his panicked frenzy, all he could see before him was a murderer, someone who had tried to kill his best friend in a selfish attempt to escape.   
_Escape? How did I..._  
Patrick looked at his surroundings, and could instantly tell this wasn't the dirty basement they'd been held captive in. And, more importantly so, he was alive.  Patrick brought his hand to his face and felt for a bullet wound to double check this wasn't just some disturbing afterlife, that he wasn't dead. He sighed in relief when he found no such fatal injuries. Just as he'd calmed down somewhat, Pete began to stir. Patrick's heart almost skipped a beat when Pete sat up suddenly, only to be faced with a wild looking Patrick , knife in hand.   
"Whoa, Patrick ! Calm down, Patrick , put the knife down" Pete said steadily. Patrick was torn between listening to him , or attacking him with the butter knife.   
"Why. Did. You. Do. It. Pete." Patrick snarled through gritted teeth. Despite his angry demeanour , Patrick's heart was aching from losing trust in his best friend. All he wanted was to cry into Pete's arms.   
"Patrick... I didn't hurt you..much.. I promise. Patrick, you have to trust me. I saved you, see ? " Pete said hesitantly, still sitting on the carpet.   
"I...I.." Patrick was lost in the situation, he didn't understand.   
"Could you maybe put the knife down now , Patrick? Please?" Pete asked quietly.   
Patrick looked down at himself and noticed something else.   
_I'm... Clean ?_  
Piecing together what had happened, he guessed that Pete had cleaned him up and... Got him here somehow ? Obviously Pete hadn't actually killed him. Probably.   
Patrick lowered the small knife slowly, and helped Pete up from the floor.   
"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Peter"


	22. I'll Check In Tomorrow (If I Don't Wake Up Dead)

Pete gently grabbed the singer's hand, and with the other he removed the knife from Patrick's trembling fist.   
"Shall we sit down?"  
Patrick was silent.  
Pete gently pulled Patrick over to the large double bed, and sat him down. Once he was next to Patrick, he moved to place his arm around the smaller man, flinching as Patrick pulled away from his touch.   
"Patrick... I... I'm sorry"   
_Let's start with that._  
"Sorry won't cut it, Pete" Patrick snapped.  
 _So out of character._

_I'm sorry._

"I did... I did it to save you, you know. I thought-" Pete was beginning to choke on tears, "I thought you would trust me. I'm so sorry Patrick"

Patrick was silent for a moment.   
"Hard to trust someone when they have a gun to your head. Maybe you should try it sometime" Patrick mumbled bitterly, although Pete was glad he was acting more like himself.

"I didn't know what else to do, Patrick. It worked though" Pete laughed slightly. "And I completely understand if you... Don't trust me anymore or whateve-"  
"Pete, of course I trust you. Just...given the situation and all, I'm not sure I even trusted myself." Tears had begun to well up in Patrick's eyes as he was overwhelmed by the recent events. Before he knew it, he was clutching Pete's chest and openly sobbing into his jacket. Pete instantly moved to wrap his arms around his best friend, so so glad that he still had Patrick.

They had laid on the bed for a good hour or so, Patrick crying into Pete's arms until there were no more tears to shed. Pete wiped the tear tracks off the singer's face with his sleeve.   
"When was the last time you ate?"  
Patrick thought hard, struggling to answer Pete's question.   
"Far too long ago for my liking" he replied.   
Pete stood up and took the menu from the small side table.   
"Room service?"

After at least half an hour of reading the menu, Patrick finally settled on a dish. It had taken Pete a fair amount of time to convince him that, no, he could not order the entire room service menu, at which Patrick sulked at Pete's scolding. Pete dialled the room service number on the chunky hotel room phone and placed their order. Some time later, (Pete couldn't really be sure how long, he was too happy listening to Patrick enthuse about the program on the TV) there was a knock on the door as one of the staff brought the food. Pete thanked them and carried the food back to Patrick.   
"This looks great! Is that- it is! Pete, we got Nutella!" Patrick was overexcited to see real food for the first time in a while, and it put a warm feeling in Pete's chest.   
"Pete..."  
"Mm?"  
"Pete..."  
"Goddamnit Patrick, what?"  
Patrick just lifted the remnant of his wrist in front of Pete's face.  
Oh.

_Oh._

"Can you... Can you cut it for me, please?" Patrick asked quietly.

"Of course, Patrick "

After they had eaten, well, the first of many plates, Pete picked up the receipt to see exactly what Patrick had demanded several plates of.   
He shrugged, and went to put it back down, when he saw there was another small piece of paper under it. He picked it up, and flipped it over.

The drink slipped from his hand, and shattered on the floor. Patrick had to stifle a scream when he read it over Pete's shoulder.


	23. Until Your Breathing Stops, Forever

Patrick stood back, gasping.   
"But... We... How?" The singer was breathing erratically, panicking.   
"Patrick! It's alright! We'll find a way, we always do, right?" Pete reassured him.   
Patrick stared silently at the note.

 **Meagan will look pretty in red.**  
 **xxxx**  
\- Sophie

Pete couldn't believe it. Not Meagan too. He couldn't let her suffer the way Patrick had. And oh- his children! She wouldn't hurt them, would she?   
Pete wasn't so sure. His eyes landed on what was left of Patrick's wrist, which was, well, nothing. Furiously wiping away tears, he turned to look at his friend.   
"Patrick-"  
"No, Pete. I'm not letting you go alone. It's a goddamned suicide mission! I'm not about to let you get killed, Pete!" Patrick exclaimed.   
"Patrick, you're injured! That's even worse!"  
"Then I'm more disposable."  
"Patrick Martin Vaughn Stump, don't you DARE-"  
He was cut off abruptly by a sharp pain to the face.   
_Did Patrick just slap him?_  
"I can't see you get hurt again, Patrick. I can't" he whispered.   
Before Patrick had a chance to reply, Pete bolted for the hotel room door, successfully slamming it shut just before Patrick could jam his foot in the opening. Pete knew it was cruel, but there was no way he was getting out with one functioning hand. Pete felt a pang of guilt in his chest as he heard Patrick's curses and cries as he locked the door from the outside, but it was quickly replaced by satisfaction as the lock clicked shut. He would be more focused knowing Patrick was safe.   
_At least, I hope._

Pete fumbled for his car keys, and got in. He did not once look back as he drove to the house he shared with Meagan.

\-----------

Patrick screeched in pain and frustration. Pete had left him, just like that? No goodbye? What if he never saw him again? What if it was all a trap, and Sophie would come back to finish off Patrick while Pete was off on a wild goose chase? What if....  
Patrick sunk down,his back against the door.

_What if..._

_Pete, you stubborn idiot!_

Patrick picked up the hotel room's phone and hurriedly punched in the number, smirking.   
"Hello, room service please?"

\---------------

Pete had stopped off to buy a few things before he went to their house. You could never be too prepared, he guessed. A shotgun and knife should do the job.   
_Self defence, right?_

Right.

Pete slowly pulled into his driveway, headlights off. It was dark, far too dark for Pete's liking. He couldn't see any lights on in the familiar house.  
 _I just hope that isn't a bad sign._  
He decided to go in through the back door, as to not alert Sophie if she were here.   
He closed the door softly, noticing the front door was actually open. Cursing under his breath, he crept upstairs, heart stopping briefly every time his feet made the floorboards creak. He could hear faint movement coming from upstairs. It was also entirely dark, and Pete was just going off of memory to find his way up to the room in the pitch black, as quietly as possible. Pete wanted to call out Meagan's name so desperately, just to see if she was alright. But he knew he couldn't do that.   
_There._  
 _Footsteps._

They weren't Meagan's.

Pete braced himself, trying his best to pinpoint where they were.   
He was just a few feet away now, and...  
He lunged.   
His fingers wrapped around a neck, earning a muffled squeak from the intruder.   
Pete knew he had to end this now.   
He couldn't let Sophie hurt the people he loved any more.   
Pete gripped slightly higher up, getting a better grip, ready to twist.   
" _Pete!_ "  
The sound of shattering bones echoed around the room. Pete dropped the body.   
He triumphantly flicked on the light switch and...

_Screamed in pure, unfathomable horror._

"PATRICK!"


	24. When It Rains It Pours

"PATRICK!"

Pete's hysteric scream reverberated around the house.

He stumbled away from the body, tripping backwards into the doorframe. He wanted to shout again, to run, to fall to his knees and scream until the sky fell.   
But he couldn't.   
Pete's eyes were transfixed on the bruise blooming on the side of Patrick's neck, a curious mix of a deep purple and blue so alike of the night sky. To the small splatter of crimson star-like droplets on the linoleum floor.   
Transfixed to the body of the innocent man he had so brutally killed.   
Pete's throat constricted as Patrick's final plea played again and again in his head like a skipping record. He crawled across the floor, the sleeves of his sweater smearing those oh so delicate droplets of crimson on the ground.   
Suddenly he couldn't breathe, he was gasping and sobbing into Patrick's cardigan, ear pressed to his delicate chest in desperate need to turn back time, and bring his best friend back from whatever purgatory Pete had damned him to. His breaths were all "I'm sorry"s and "I love you"s. Not that they mattered now, of course.   
Pete could almost imagine that Patrick was merely unconscious, if it weren't for the trickle of blood pooling at the corner of those pretty pink lips, the mangled neck, and the single tear remnant of Patrick's final struggle sat high on his cheekbone.   
Pete was a murderer.   
The rational part of his mind reasoned that it was an accident. Manslaughter, not murder.   
The wild, untameable expanse of Pete's conscience screamed that it didn't matter - he'd killed a perfect, innocent human being. More than that- his best friend, bandmate, brother...  
Pete clung to Patrick's side even harder, desperate to leech some of the warmth from his gradually cooling body. His tears had long since soaked the front of Patrick's cardigan and shirt.   
His selfish thoughts screamed " _Pointless! All that planning for nothing! You might as well have left him to die!"_  
Pete clutched at his ears , vainly attempting to block out the demons invading his mind.   
So, so selfish. He'd left a wife without a husband, a child without a father and so much more.   
Pete was a home-wrecker.   
A killer.


	25. Go Cry Me An Ocean, And Leave Me Be

Pete slowly peeled himself off his dead friend's chest. He had no idea how long he'd just laid there, sobbing until he felt as though his lungs would collapse. Patrick had long since gone stone cold. Pete staggered to his feet for the first time he'd done _it._  
Still charged with adrenaline, he knew he couldn't just leave Patrick here. Partially because that would be rather rude of him, especially since Pete was the one who caused his death. The rational side of his brain told him he needed to move his body and remove the evidence before he was caught. He knew it was the right thing to own up to what he'd done, he owed Patrick that much at least, but he wasn't going down until Sophie was dead. In retrospect, Pete probably should have killed her while he had the chance. The only thing holding him back was his morals- he wasn't a killer.   
_A bit late for that now. Did a good job of that, didn't you?_  
Pete still felt sick to his stomach as he eyed Patrick's body sprawled out on the floor. He'd watched enough crime movies to know what to do. Still trying to hold down his lunch, he blinked back the tears and gently pulled Patrick over his shoulder, which is not an easy thing to do when he was entirely limp.   
After almost several near casualties on the stairs, Pete had successfully deposited Patrick in the boot of his car, and wiped his bloodstained hands on his sweater.   
After returning to the upstairs bedroom, Pete wiped up the mess on the floor with paper towels. He'd heard that hydrogen peroxide was good at removing bloodstains, so he gave it a shot. He'd carefully removed the bloodstained sweater and put all of the bloody objects in a bin bag, to dispose of  elsewhere.   
Pete drove for a good hour or so until the urban sprawl thinned, and he was cruising along the empty, flat highway. He pulled over beside the only payphone he'd seen on the route. If there was a way to make the whole 'situation' seem like an accident, this was it. He layed his friend close to the side of the road, vainly hoping that Patrick wouldn't be hit by a car. Pete choked out a sob as he pulled out the baseball bat he'd brought with him. He collapsed against the side of the car, babbling apologies for what he had done, and for what he was to do next.   
_Patrick didn't deserve any of this._  
 _But this is the only way to destroy Sophie for good._  
 _For Patrick._  
Pete steeled his nerves, and raised the bat above his head, hesitating before swinging down over Patrick. The bat collided with Patrick's body again   
And again   
And again  
Until Pete felt Patrick's delicate chest give way under the force of his swing. He'd had his eyes shut the whole time. Feeling the crushing bones was bad enough, he didn't need to see the gore, or the way Patrick's upper body was gradually disfigured. He finally stopped when he felt Patrick's neck and collarbone crush beneath the bat. Averting his eyes from his  work, Pete placed a gentle kiss to Patrick's porcelain cheek. Untouched.   
Without even a glance back at the body in the road, Pete climbed back into his car and began to drive away, in no particular direction, many miles per hour over the speed limit. And that's when the unstoppable tears came.


	26. I Miss Missing You

_Elisa had moved in temporarily with Meagan, Joe and Andy in the past week. Luckily Pete's house was large enough to accommodate them all. They all needed the comfort and protection of each other in these difficult times. Safety in numbers._   
_None of them left the house alone, or for more than a couple of hours at a time. No one could be sure if the people who'd taken Pete and Patrick from them would return for the rest of them._   
_Friends had come round often to visit, and to give their condolences. Brendon, Elisa, Meagan, Joe and Andy were all gathered in the main room. Brendon was sharing tour stories from the Save Rock and Roll Tour, sometimes leaving out parts that involved Pete and Patrick.  All was well until Elisa's mobile rang._   
_It was silent for a moment as she listened._   
_"Yes that's me. He's my husband. Is he alright? Did they find him?"_   
_After a full minute of silence, Elisa cut off the call._   
_She took a deep breath, and her voice wavered still._   
_"They found him"_

-le time skip-

Andy blinked back tears as they drove to the morgue. He adjusted the mirror and glanced back at Elisa and Joe in the back seats. Elisa muffled sobs with her sweater, and Joe leaned against the window, head turned away. Andy assumed he was crying too. They had all the reason to. It didn't feel real somehow, Patrick being gone. He'd always had hope that they'd get him back. Well, they had him back, but not in the way they wanted. Never like this.

_"Great show, 'Trick-o" Andy praised as he ruffled the smaller man's hair._   
_"Thanks! Same to you!" Patrick replied._   
_"Same thing tomorrow. I'll see you at sound check. Don't be late!"_

That was the last time he'd seen Patrick. And now, he wasn't sure if he was ready to see his best friend's smashed up body on a marble slab. Scratch that- there was no way in hell he'd ever be ready for that. He was only aware of the tears now running freely down his cheeks when Meagan gently placed a hand on his shoulder and asked him to concentrate on the road.   
Andy knew she was suffering too. Meagan adored Patrick, especially the way he supported her boyfriend. Pete wouldn't be here if it weren't for Patrick. Andy could see as she turned away, she brushed a tear from her cheek. They weren't ready to lose Patrick so soon.

They arrived far too soon. The four of them reluctantly stepped out of the car. They'd decided to go in together, and then let Elisa have some time with her husband. They checked in with the receptionist, and Elisa was handed a small clear bag of Patrick's possessions, the few things he'd had with him when he died. His mobile phone, wallet, some weird bits and bobs that only Patrick would keep in his pockets, his glasses and his hat. Andy felt a painful pang in his chest just looking at it, and furiously wiped his eyes for the thousandth time since the news was given. They were led further into the building by someone who looked similar to a doctor. Andy leaned against a wall and steeled his nerves before entering the room where his friend lay.   
The first thing that struck him was the cold.   
It was like they'd entered a refrigerator, and perhaps in some kind of twisted way, they had.   
Immediately his eyes fell on the body on the table, covered with a white cloth. Andy quickly averted his eyes with a sharp intake of breath, and grabbed hold of Meagan's hand for reassurance. She squeezed back.   
The 'doctor' began to explain what had happened.   
"You are all relatives and close friends of Mr. Stump, am I correct?"  
They all nodded solemnly without a word.   
Andy squeezed Meagan's hand harder and held his breath as the doctor slowly drew the cloth back to Patrick's waist.   
He almost lost his lunch when he saw the full extent of his friend's injuries.   
Meagan wasn't so lucky.   
"As you can see, he suffered a blow to the neck and chest. As he was found out on the highway, we can very well assume he was struck by a vehicle. The initial blow crushed his chest and fractured part of his neck. He may not have died instantly, perhaps more likely after a minute or so, because we found evidence of internal bleeding. Several more blows were dealt to the neck and chest, but did not bleed, which leads me to believe these were inflicted after his death. We're still investigating if this was an unfortunate accident or if Mr. Stump was thrown into the road on purpose. He was also slightly malnourished at the time of his death. I'm sorry for your loss."

Andy had partially tuned out by the time the man had finished speaking. All he could hear was "crushed chest" "fractured neck" "internal bleeding" "thrown into the road on purpose"

Andy turned away from Patrick's body. He couldn't stand the sickly pale pallor of his porcelain akin, or the mess that was once his neck and chest. Patrick didn't deserve to be here, in this fridge. He belonged back home with Elisa and Declan, on stage, and in the studio, making music for all the world to enjoy. Anywhere but here.   
Meagan hugged him from behind, and soon they were both sobbing uncontrollably, clutching each other in despair and desperation.   
Andy glanced at Joe and Elisa.   
Joe was staring silently at Patrick's body, with a distant look in his eye. He looked like he'd aged ten years since this morning.   
As for Elisa, Andy had never seen heartbreak so prominent in a person. She was clearly distraught- unable to even cry anymore. He wondered if she felt the same way he did. That this all felt too surreal.   
But it was real.   
Far too real.   
Elisa approached Patrick's body, the first one of them to do so, and ran a delicate finger across his cheek.   
He must have felt like ice.   
They wordlessly agreed that they should leave Elisa be bfor now.   
"See you on the other side, Patrick" Andy said softly, before calling the identification and leaving to join Meagan and Joe in the car.


	27. I Don't Think I'm Coming Home

Pete sped along the freeway, relishing the isolation and flat expanse of road unfolding ahead of him. He could go anywhere.  
But he had a mission.  
He knew to attempt to get revenge on someone was the wrong thing to do, but as he'd learned in the past couple of weeks, the voices shouting morals and rhetorics in his mind could be silenced with determination. Any thoughts other than those formed from anger and devastation were pushed to the back of his mind.  Those that remained at the forefront of his priorities were to avenge Patrick, and get his own revenge on Sophie.  
White knuckles clutching the wheel and white road markings blurred as his eyes filled with tears once again.

"PETE WHAT THE FUCK"  
The car spun, skidding on dust and dirt before coming to a stop. Pete didn't dare turn to his left. He didn't want to see. This couldn't be happening, it wasn't possible!  
He was forced to look when the persons hand collided with his face when he didn't reply.  
And everything stopped.  
Sparkling blue eyes and soft lips filled his vision. That funny little fringe he loved so much, and the thick black rimmed glasses that framed his face so perfectly.  
Patrick Stump was in his car?  
Pete was pulled out of his dazed state when he was slapped yet again.  
"Hey, dumbass, you've got more than a little explaining to do"  
Pete could respond- his mouth was moving but no sound came out.  
"Pete, I'm gonna ask you one more time, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING"  
Pete jumped in his seat when Patrick screeched at him.  
"I-I it was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to-to- to kill you!" He pleaded.  
"I know that, you idiot!" Patrick retorted. Pete was confused even more than he already was-  
"You were going to kill Sophie! Killing is wrong, Pete!"  
_Oh._  
Patrick wasn't mad at Pete for killing him after all.  
"Oh, and, it was a dick move, killing me" Patrick huffed. "Idiot"  
Well, maybe he was a little pissed. Pete couldn't blame him really.  
"Patrick I -"  
"Save it, Pete." Patrick grumbled as he slumped against the car window.  
Pete sighed.  
And then it hit him again.  
"Wait a second, if you're ... dead... and you're in my car..."  
Patrick suddenly turned around to face him again.  
"Oh my god, Pete, I've just about had it with you and I've been back less than five minutes!" He exclaimed frustratedly "Don't you get it? You killed me, so I haunt you"  
The word 'haunt' was almost laughable to Pete. Patrick haunting him? As a ghost? That sounded like a bad fanfiction.  
Pete reached out to touch Patrick's face, but Patrick flinched and quickly pulled away. It felt like a kick to the chest for Pete. Patrick didn't trust him anymore. No surprise there really.  
But Pete grabbed Patrick's wrist before he could move away, and almost let go as he gasped. He certainly could touch Patrick, even though he was a ghost. Pete would rather say just 'dead'. That's what he felt like. Stone cold to the touch, but still the same Patrick.  
Before he knew what he was doing, he engulfed his best friend in a hug.


End file.
